Electronic commerce is becoming an increasingly popular way of conducting business. Customers are now able to identify and purchase a wide variety of goods and services over computer networks, including the Internet. While electronic commerce is increasing in popularity, many customers tend to limit their purchase of goods and services to certain categories, such as books and movies. Customers who are accustomed to purchasing goods in these certain categories are reluctant to expand their online shopping experience by purchasing goods and services in other categories, such as garden tools or kitchen and housewares, for example.
Companies offering online merchandising of goods and services are interested in helping their customers recognize the wide array of products and services that are available for purchase. The problem experienced by these companies is how to encourage customers to expand their purchasing comfort level to include goods and services in categories which they have previously not purchased. The present invention is directed to a computer-implemented method and system that improves the customer's shopping experience and assists the customer in discovering a wider universe of goods and services available for purchase.